Native Americans

General Store and Post Office in Saint Michael North Dakota on the Spirit Lake Reservation.

Spirit Lake Nation Reclaims 680 Acres After Century-Long Effort

After decades of advocacy, the Spirit Lake Nation successfully reclaimed 680 acres of its original treaty land from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, marking a significant step toward healing and future development.

March 6, 2025 - ICT

Informational plaque in front of paved walkway next to tall green trees in Black Hawk State Historic Site, Illinois.

Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design

Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.

March 4, 2025 - Harvard GSD

Native American ruins at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in winter with snow.

BLM Approves Controversial Oil and Gas Leases on Navajo Land

The parcels are located near a sensitive archaeological site, but some Indigenous leaders approve of the move, which will bring in millions in revenue.

February 13, 2025 - High Country News

View of small town Benton in Washington State from Horse Heaven Hills.

Washington Tribes Oppose Wind Project

Tribal communities claim that a major wind energy project threatens sensitive cultural and environmental resources.

December 26, 2024 - High Country News

Native demonstrators hold a red banner reading "Bring the salmon home - Remove the Klamath Dams."

Last Dam in Klamath River Removal Project Comes Down

Salmon can now move freely along the river and its tributaries for the first time in over a century.

September 3, 2024 - CNN

Coal mining equipment and vehicles at coal mining site in Wyoming.

A Win for ‘Keep it in the Ground’

Coal mining in Wyoming will take a major hit as a result of a U.S. Department of Interior plan to cease future leasing of coal mines in the nation's most productive coal mining basin. The decision casts a spotlight on the presidential election.

June 4, 2024 - Irvin Dawid

View from inside large cave with ancient Mogollan cliff dwellings in Gila Wilderness, New Mexico.

The Changing Nature of Wilderness

U.S. public lands management is undergoing a slow but significant shift.

June 3, 2024 - High Country News

View of Havasu Falls with bright turquoise water and a canyon winding through red vertical cliffs in the Grand Canyon

Biden Announces New National Monument on Havasu 'Baaja Land

Almost 1 million acres of land near the Grand Canyon will now be protected from mining and extraction as part of the country’s newest national monument.

August 10, 2023 - Arizona Republic

"Radiation Zone, Keep Out" sign on wood post with red Arizona desert mesa in background

Grand Canyon Area Could Gain New National Monument

The Biden administration has signaled support for a proposed national monument that would protect Native American lands around the Grand Canyon from uranium mining.

August 7, 2023 - The Washington Post

View of three manufactured homes on a hill somewhere in Navajo Nation

HUD Grants Support Housing and Infrastructure in Native Communities

The department announced $95 million in funding for housing renovations, infrastructure projects, and community facilities.

May 25, 2023 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

A sign held above the crowd at a protest reads "No Pipelines" and "Stop RCMP Invasion on Indigenous Lands"

The Land Back Movement, Explained

A 500-year struggle has gained momentum in the days of social media.

September 7, 2022 - High Country News

Idaho

2021 Most Endangered Rivers List Highlights Environmental Justice

The annual list of endangered rivers created by American Rivers has always documented pollution and other threats like dam construction, but this year, the confluence of water and systemic racism warrants extra attention.

April 19, 2021 - American Rivers

Congress

Biden Diversifies Cabinet With EPA Administrator, Interior Secretary Picks

President-elect Biden made two historic cabinet selections: Michael Regan, who heads the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, to run the U.S. EPA, and Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico, to head the Interior Department.

December 21, 2020 - The Washington Post

U.S. Department of the Interior

Water Supply Inadequacies Tied to Coronavirus Infection in the Navajo Nation

On May 24, the Navajo Nation had 4,658 reported cases and 165 deaths in a population of 173,000—more even than New York City—while local organizers scrambled to find the water to cover the need during the pandemic.

June 3, 2020 - Outside

California Shelter-in-Place

Contrasting the Coronavirus Impact in the Bay Area to New York City

Early intervention, or population density? NPR reporters based in the Bay Area and New York City offer explanations as to why the two regions are seeing such a wide contrast in experiences during the coronavirus outbreak.

April 8, 2020 - NPR

Humboldt Bay

Sacred Island Returned to the Wiyot Tribe, 160 Years After it Was Stolen

The city of Eureka has returned ownership of Duluwat Island, the site of a brutal massacre in 1860 and also a deeply sacred site, to the Wiyot Tribe.

October 29, 2019 - North Coast Journal

Oil Pipeline

Federal Judge in Montana Halts Construction of Keystone XL Pipeline

The Trump administration's denial of climate change may serve a political purpose, but in the courtroom, it can prove a liability. A federal judge in Montana took into account the administration's "discarding" of climate science in its ruling.

November 15, 2018 - InsideClimate News

Dockless Bike SHare

The First Bike Share in a Native American Community

Lime Bike will be available at the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, a first for bike share in the US.

June 13, 2018 - Fast Company

Shasta Lake

Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?

Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

California's First Use of 2017 'By-Right' Housing Law

A Berkeley parking lot is the site of the state's first implementation of a controversial landmark law that allows eligible developments with affordable housing to bypass the normal channels for approval if they conform to local zoning laws.

March 14, 2018 - KPIX

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.